“Medical Professionals Don’t Spare Themselves at Work, While the Authorities Button up Their Purse”

How can Belarusian doctors protect their rights?

Belarus has watched the footage of the rebellion of Babruisk paramedics who did not allow BT TV channel to film the propaganda plot. The paramedics did not receive the promised money for extra hours during the epidemic, and the official television came to "hush up" this problem.

Babruisk case was not a unique one. Media told dozens of stories of physicians deceived by the authorities and left without promised extra payments for work with the coronavirus infected.

Henadz Fiadynich, the leader of the REP independent trade union, tells Charter97.org how medical workers can protect their rights.

- There is a direct fault of the Ministry of Health of Belarus in this situation. The decree provides for additional payment for physicians. However, its implementation is the theatre of absurdity. Why should a physician calculate minutes or hours of work? That's nonsense. Should they have a notebook and a stopwatch with them?

Officials must stay away from this topic. An administration and a chief physician deal with such matters. People work and that's it. They should know their work will be paid off. They deserve this money.

On the one hand, the government allows getting extra payments, but there is nothing in practice. I regard this as direct disrespect and contempt of medical personnel.

Such irresponsibility of the authorities towards their people will sooner or later come back to bite them. Everyone will have to be responsible for their actions. Medical professionals don’t spare themselves at work, while the authorities button up their purse.

- Physicians share shocking stories about the conditions they have to work in. Especially in the regions. Is there any definition of such working conditions in the law?

- There are articles in the Labour Code that directly indicate that if any working activity (not necessarily medical) threatens one's health, one can leave it. If physicians had done this together, they would have had PPE (personal protective equipment) on the following day. How many months have passed, and doctors and nurses do not have access to essentials? What is this?

Besides, there are a number of other violations of the Labour Code. First, people work overtime. No one records it. Conditions of work are also violated. Safety and health issues are questionable as well.

The main duty of an employer is to provide medical professionals with PPE and to warn them about the slightest danger to their health. Once again, no one has abolished this duty. Therefore, those issues related to labour protection, safety rules, payments, overtime work are violations Belarusian medical professionals face today.

Those who work directly with coronavirus patients wear PPE. But there are other medical professionals. They are dying.

I say that it's quite simple to introduce at least a glove-mask mode in Belarus. In the current epidemiological situation, a person must wear a mask and gloves while entering markets, banks, shops and so on.

- Can medicals professionals initiate mass trials against the authorities, which failed to meet their direct obligations?

- I think we should start it today. I believe that every fact should be taken into account: a failure to provide PPE, a threat to the health of medical professionals. Physicians must understand that they are human beings too. We're concerned about their health now. If the situation remains the same, who will treat us?

I will not be a surprise if some physicians leave the country when borders are open again. It will be an "acknowledgement" of the authorities' attitude towards them.

- Is the independent REP trade union ready to help Belarusian physicians to defend their rights?

- There is a decree. One should remember it and not afraid to go to court. Babruisk doctors have shown an excellent example of self-organization we need to take into account. One must stand for one's rights. No one has ever granted them.

If there are two or three precedents, it will make things easier. Any problem will be solvable not matter where they occur. One must not be afraid to go through thick and thin, because this is about human health. After all, we have only one life to live.

The REP trade union is ready to help Belarusian physicians. If someone wants to remain anonymous, we will respect it. There are emails, telephones, lawyers. Someone works remotely, someone goes to the courts.

Let medical professionals come to us. They will receive a qualified response and free legal advice, although we primarily help trade union's members. If can help to file a lawsuit.

If you like this article, you can support the website Charter97.org

MULTI-CURRENCY ACCOUNT FOR ASSISTANCE:

Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL 97 1160 2202 0000 0002 1671 1123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims

You can contact us by the e-mail charter97@gmail.com